New soybean weed management systems played a starring role at the recent American Seed Trade Association, or ASTA, convention in Chicago. Several companies used the occasion to announce new soybean technologies that will be available in the next several years.
"We're on the verge of a new era in soybeans," says Myron Stine, vice president of sales for Stine Seed Company, headquartered at Adel, Iowa. "It's been 15 years since Roundup Ready Soybeans forever changed the way we look at soybean weed control, but these days we know growers need new tools and options. These systems will open up a lot of choice to growers."
Stine is one of the first companies to commit to licensing two of the products unveiled at ASTA: Enlist E3 soybeans and a yet-to-be named system referred to by its working name, FG72. "Adding Enlist E3 and FG72 to Stine's offerings means we can provide customers with new methods to fight weeds while preserving yield. That's important since no two fields are alike. Growers want the flexibility to choose varieties based on their field's particular geography, soil type and weed pressures," says Myron Stine. In addition, through its longstanding research collaboration with Monsanto, Stine is currently developing new Roundup Ready Xtend soybeans which will be marketed under the Stine brand.
WEED CONTROL TOOLS: Keep your eye on Enlist E3 Soybeans, and a yet-to-be named system referred to by its working name, FG72. Another new product to watch for is Roundup Ready Xtend soybeans, which will be the industry's first soybean with tolerance to glyphosate and a reformulated low-volatility dicamba. Still going through the regulatory approval process, these herbicide products aren't yet on the market. Growers are reminded to use best management strategies to protect the effectiveness of current chemistries.
New soybean traits are being introduced which give growers new options for weed management systems
Enlist E3 soybeans, another offering in the Enlist Weed Control System portfolio, were developed in collaboration between MS Technologies and Dow AgroSciences. MS Technologies is an Iowa-based company that provides soybean traits and technology through their elite, high-yielding germplasm and in-house traits.
Enlist E3 represents the first time three herbicide tolerance genes will be stacked together as part of a single genetic event in the soybean genome. Those three tolerances include a new 2,4-D choline, glyphosate and glufosinate. Enlist Duo herbicide with Colex-D technology was created for use over the top of Enlist crops. According to Dow, Duo herbicide has minimized potential for drift and near-zero volatility.